The National Portrait Gallery has administered a series of short term loans since the 1860s. Short term loans are portraits lent from the Gallery to external locations, both in the UK and abroad, for a period of less than one year. Portraits lent are generally on display to the public, and where public exhibition is not the predominant remit for the loan (for example loans to embassies abroad), the public are able to view the portraits on request. Portraits included in these loans are both those which the Gallery has acquired and those that are on permanent loan to the Gallery – requiring the additional approval of private owners.
The short term loan series includes the following information, with some files containing more information than others: loan request from external institutions and organising bodies; information regarding the name and proposal for the exhibition; loan agreement form (where one exists); final list of portraits to be lent; correspondence recording any change to the condition of the portraits lent; and any other correspondence of significance.